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Apple Books launched a dedicated vertical-reading manga section in Japan on April 14, 2023. It offered scrolling, episodic comics through the Japanese Manga Store on iPhone, iPad and Mac—not a worldwide webtoon catalog. The launch included free opening episodes, paid installments and a mix of exclusive and non-exclusive series.
What Apple Books launched
Apple added a “Vertical Reading Manga” page inside the Manga Store tab of Apple Books in Japan. Rather than presenting comics mainly as conventional page-by-page books or collected volumes, the section was built for continuous vertical scrolling on digital screens. The format is commonly associated with webtoons, though “vertical-reading manga” was Apple’s term for the launch.
Apple announced the feature on April 14, 2023, describing vertical-reading manga as a growing format in Japan. The announcement was a historical launch notice, not a claim that the feature was newly introduced in 2026. Apple’s announcement
Why it was not for everyone
The launch was for customers using the Japanese Apple Books storefront. Apple did not announce a U.S. or other international rollout in its launch notice; contemporary coverage also described the feature as available only in Japan. AppleInsider’s launch coverage
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That establishes the launch geography, not the feature’s status in every storefront today. The cited launch material does not establish whether Apple later expanded the same section to additional countries, so readers should check their own Apple Books storefront rather than treat a 2023 announcement as proof of current availability.
Opening a Japanese storefront page, where accessible, is not the same as being eligible to buy its titles. Apple’s announcement does not document account-region or payment requirements for readers abroad. Changing an account’s country or region can have consequences for purchases, payment methods, subscriptions and existing content; do not assume changing a device’s language or using a VPN will unlock purchases.
What readers could find in the section
Apple partnered with South Korean studio KENAZ, which specializes in vertical-reading comics, to offer selected series. Apple listed romance, fantasy, action, mystery, horror, isekai and science fiction among the genres. The catalog combined domestic-exclusive works with non-exclusive series; it was not an all-exclusive collection.
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Among the domestic-exclusive titles Apple named were Ingram no Tomoshibi (translated as Ingram’s Flame), Occult Detective Nicki, Kung Fu Company, NEVE — The Dirty Snow That Never Melts and Captain Eve. English renderings here are translations of the titles cited in Apple’s Japanese announcement, not confirmation of official English editions.
Ongoing series received new episodes daily, according to Apple. That serialized cadence and the vertical-scroll presentation made the section different from simply adding another set of standard manga volumes to a digital bookstore.
Free episodes and episode pricing
Apple’s launch terms varied by series type. The ¥50 figure applied to the named domestic-exclusive series; Apple did not establish it as the price for every non-exclusive title.
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| Series type | Free episodes at launch | Paid price stated by Apple |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic-exclusive series | First five episodes | ¥50 per episode for the named domestic-exclusive series |
| Non-exclusive series | First three episodes | Not stated as a general price by Apple; check the individual listing |
These are the terms Apple stated for the 2023 launch, not a guarantee of current prices or free-episode counts. A per-episode price can also add up across a long series, so check the episode count and title listing before purchasing. Apple’s announcement is the primary source for the launch terms: Apple Japan Newsroom.
Supported devices and language
Apple named the Apple Books app on iPhone, iPad and Mac for access to the section. The announcement did not describe an Android, Windows or browser-first version of this feature, nor did it extend the vertical-reading interface to Apple Watch or CarPlay.
The launch was aimed at Japanese customers and presented Japanese-market titles. The announcement does not promise English translations or an English-language edition, so readers should not assume a Japanese storefront title is available in English-speaking markets.
How this differed from buying manga by volume
Conventional digital manga is often sold as a complete book or volume, with pages read in sequence. These series were formatted for vertical scrolling and sold as episodes, with daily updates for ongoing titles. The model resembles serialized webtoon reading more than a one-time volume purchase.
- Vertical scroll: designed for continuous screen movement rather than traditional page turns.
- Episode-by-episode access: opening episodes were free under the launch terms, with paid episodes for at least the named exclusive series.
- Mixed catalog: Apple offered both exclusive and non-exclusive content, not exclusively Apple-created comics.
Apple’s announcement does not describe a subscription covering these episodes. Readers who prefer a bundled volume, a subscription catalog, or English-language comics should verify those options separately rather than assume they are included in this section.
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Why the launch focused on Japan
Apple said vertical-reading manga was growing in popularity in Japan and presented the page as a way to expand the entertainment available to Japanese Apple Books customers. It did not identify licensing, localization or payment rules as the reason for limiting the launch geographically.
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Rights, translations, storefront arrangements and local payment rules can make expansion across markets more complex, but that is a general possibility—not an explanation Apple confirmed for this launch. There is no basis in the announcement for attributing the restriction to a specific licensing decision or App Store policy.
Who the launch suited—and who it did not
A stronger fit
- Readers already using Apple Books in Japan.
- Readers who prefer full-color, phone-friendly vertical scrolling and serialized updates.
- Readers comfortable sampling free episodes and paying per episode for a series.
A weaker fit
- Readers outside Japan expecting immediate access through their usual storefront.
- Readers looking specifically for English-language editions, a subscription bundle or complete-volume purchases.
- Readers who primarily use Android or Windows devices.
For readers outside Japan, established webtoon and manga services may be more practical, but catalogs, languages, prices and regional availability differ by service and title. Check the relevant service directly rather than assuming it carries Apple’s exclusive series.
What the announcement does—and does not—establish
Apple’s April 14, 2023 announcement establishes a Japan-focused Apple Books launch, the named devices, KENAZ partnership, genres, opening free-episode counts, the stated ¥50 price for named exclusive series and daily updates for ongoing series. It does not establish an English localization, U.S. pricing, a subscription, general non-exclusive episode pricing, or a later worldwide expansion. Read Apple’s original announcement.
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